A toothpick is a device which generally has one or more pointed ends for use in cleaning teeth. A toothpick that is commonly available is disposable and has a generally cylindrical wooden body tapering to two pointed ends. Such disposable wooden toothpicks are inexpensive and very popular. Billions of disposable wooden toothpicks are sold per year and they can be found in most American homes. Due to the huge market for disposable wooden toothpicks, their manufacture has become a very competitive business where manufacturers keep the designs of their toothpick manufacturing equipment as closely guarded secrets. Accordingly, it is relatively difficult for an outsider to start up a company to enter the disposable wooden toothpick market.
One drawback of the common disposable wooden toothpick is the danger of injury from one of its sharply pointed ends. If an accident occurs while a person is using this toothpick, its sharp end can be forced into the user's mouth and cause an injury. Furthermore, depending on the position of the toothpick relative to the user, the sharp ends of the toothpick also can accidentally puncture other parts of the user's body. For example, when the user carries the toothpick in a pocket or a purse, he or she must locate it by touch and risk injury to his or her fingers from the sharp ends of the toothpick. Further, if the toothpick is in a pocket when the user accidentally trips and falls, the resulting impact with the floor could drive the sharp end of the toothpick into the user's flesh.
Another drawback is the inconvenience associated with the handling of the common disposable wooden toothpick. Disposable wooden toothpicks are usually sold in a paper or plastic boxes. These toothpick boxes are relatively weak and generally too large to fit comfortably within a pocket or small purse. Because of the relatively large size of such toothpick boxes, some people put loose toothpicks in their pockets, where they may become soiled, lost, or move into a position whereby they again pose a threat of injury. Further, if such toothpick boxes are placed into a pocket, they may fail when exposed to common torsional and compression loads, thereby releasing the toothpicks from within.
One toothpick packet intended to allow the user to conveniently carry wooden toothpicks has a paper housing capable of carrying 25 wooden toothpicks. The housing carries a rectangular wooden block that is made up of 25 parallel toothpicks joined to each other along their length. When the wooden block is removed from the housing, individual toothpicks can be broken off and used. After being separated from the block, each toothpick is approximately two inches long and is generally triangular in cross-section. Each toothpick has one tapered end for cleaning purposes.
The paper housing has a rectangular pocket along its base to accept the rectangular wooden block. A movable rectangular flap extends upwardly from the rear of the pocket, thereby forming the back side of the packet. The flap is bent to form the upper edge of the packet and also extends back to the front edge of the pocket, thereby forming the front side of the packet. The flap can move between an open position, where the wooden block is removable, and a closed position, where the wooden block is concealed within the housing. The portion of the flap forming the back side of the packet has two side flaps. In the closed position, the side flaps fold around the exposed sides of the wooden block and tuck under the portion of the flap that forms the front side of the packet.
The toothpick packet previously described is generally effective and safe. However, under certain conditions, there may be some drawbacks associated with toothpick packets designed according to this prior art. One drawback is that each toothpick has a tapered end that, if enough force is applied, can injure a user. Another drawback is that the width of each toothpick's tapered end is too great to pass between and clean the teeth of certain individuals.
Yet another drawback is the relatively high expense associated with the production costs and the necessary manufacturing machinery for this toothpick packet. As discussed above, the equipment needed to produce common disposable wooden toothpicks is not available on the open market. Accordingly, anyone wishing to produce toothpicks must design such equipment by trial and error and incur relatively high expenses.
Yet another drawback is associated with the rigidity of the toothpicks which come from the wooden block within the packet. The rigidity of each toothpick may prevent the user from positioning the toothpick at a desired angle within the mouth. During use, a person may desire to clean a crevice between the teeth located near the rear of the mouth. However, the user may be unable to position the end of the toothpick near the rear of the mouth because the rigid body of the toothpick may be obstructed by opposing teeth or cheeks. Accordingly, the access to the rear teeth is limited to positions which are unobstructed, thereby undesirably limiting the cleaning effectiveness of the toothpick.
Another prior toothpick packet includes plastic toothpicks, each having a flexible tip intended to bend and penetrate between the teeth located near the rear of the mouth. The toothpicks are initially joined and form one plastic piece that comes within a closable, envelope-like plastic housing. When the plastic piece is removed from the housing, individual plastic toothpicks can be broken off and used.
The toothpicks from this packet are generally effective in cleaning teeth. However, under certain conditions, several drawbacks may be associated with toothpicks and housings designed according to this prior art. One drawback is that the housing and the toothpicks may be costly to manufacture because they are made of plastic materials.
Another drawback is associated with a relatively sharp edge located on one side of the plastic toothpick. The plastic toothpick is relatively thin to allow for the bending required to clean the teeth located near the rear of the mouth. The thin portion of this plastic toothpick has relatively sharp edges. During use, if too much pressure is applied, this edge can cut the gums of the user.
A final drawback is associated with the loose packaging of the toothpicks within both of the previously described toothpick packets. The wooden block of the first packet and the plastic piece of the second packet are not fastened to their respective housings. Accordingly, during use, the user may position and open each housing in such a way so as to accidentally permit the toothpicks to fall out and become soiled. Furthermore, the user may touch the other toothpicks formed in the wooden block or plastic piece during his or her effort to break off an individual toothpick. Such handling of the other toothpicks may not be sanitary and is undesirable.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there is still a need for a toothpick packet that has a relatively small housing and toothpicks that are relatively safe, inexpensive, and sanitary. Accordingly, the present invention fulfills these needs.